U.S. patent number 4,227,508 [Application Number 05/972,247] was granted by the patent office on 1980-10-14 for toy automatic pistol for ping pong balls.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Arco Industries Ltd.. Invention is credited to Bruce M. D'Andrade.
United States Patent |
4,227,508 |
D'Andrade |
October 14, 1980 |
Toy automatic pistol for ping pong balls
Abstract
A toy pistol for shooting ping pong balls having a frame with a
barrel portion at the forward end and a handle extending downward
from the rearward end, a magazine extending upward and rearward
therefrom, a ram movable along longitudinal guide member in the
frame rearward from said barrel portion, a compression spring to
fire the ram forward, and a T-shaped combination trigger and sear
having a head with a sear movable generally parallel to and below
said guide members, the stem of said T-shaped member being movable
into the forward portion of said handle and said head having pins
on the opposite end movable in forward and rearward guide slots in
the frame, the rearward slot extending rearward and downward,
whereby near the end of rearward movement of said T-shaped member
the rear end of said head is moved downward to disengage the sear
on said head from said ram which is fired forwardly by said
compression spring and a tension spring automatically restores the
T-shaped member forwardly to starting position.
Inventors: |
D'Andrade; Bruce M.
(Flemington, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Arco Industries Ltd. (Hong
Kong, HK)
|
Family
ID: |
25519406 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/972,247 |
Filed: |
December 22, 1978 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/16; 124/37;
124/44.7; 124/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B
7/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41B
7/00 (20060101); F41B 007/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;124/16,27,37,41R,50,49,21,25,28,29 ;273/26D |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Browne; William R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Just; C. Hercus
Claims
I claim:
1. A toy pistol for holding a supply of and automatically firing
ping pong balls comprising in combination, an elongated frame
having a simulated barrel at the forward end thereof and a hollow
handle having a forward open edge and extending downward from the
axis of said frame adjacent the rearward end thereof, a magazine
for storage of ping pong balls in the upper portion of said frame
sloping upward and rearward from said simulated barrel and
discharging into said simulated barrel, guide means extending along
the axis of said frame from the rearward end thereof, a firing ram
slidable along said guide means for movement axially of said frame
from a retracted position therein to a fired position in which the
forward end of the ram forcefully strikes a ball in the simulated
barrel to fire it therefrom, and a compression spring at the
innermost end of said guide means in said frame adjacent said rear
end thereof and engageable with said ram to fire it forwardly when
said spring is released from a compressed condition; the
improvement comprising a rigid T-shaped member comprising a
combination trigger and sear having the head thereof extending
beneath the guide means and generally parallel thereto for axial
movement between fully forward and rearward positions and the stem
of said T-shaped member comprising the trigger and extending along
the forward edge of said handle and movable into and outward from
said open forward edge of said handle, said ram having a holding
detent extending downward and the opposite ends of the head of said
T-shaped member having pins projecting laterally therefrom and said
frame having a pair of longitudinally-spaced forward and rearward
guide slots in which said pins on said head are slidably received
for guiding movement of said head, said rearward slot having an
upper edge sloping rearward and downward, a tension spring secured
respectively at its opposite ends to said frame and the head of
said T-shaped member, and a sear projecting from the upper portion
of the head of said T-shaped member and engageable with said
holding detent on said ram when said head is in its fully forward
position, whereby when said trigger on said T-shaped member is
moved manually toward and into said handle, said head moves
rearward and said compression spring is compressed and the tension
spring is tensioned and the rearward pin on said head is moved
downward along said upper edge of said rearward slot while moving
rearward therein to compress said compression spring until near the
end of said movement when the sear automatically disengages the
holding detent to permit the compression spring to fire the ram
against a ball in said simulated barrel and project it therefrom
while said tension spring automatically restores said T-shaped
member to the fully forward position thereof and in which the
forward end of said ram is in its extended firing position in which
it blocks movement of the next ball in the magazine from entering
said barrel, said forward end of said rearward slot having vertical
clearance to permit said pin in said slot to move downward incident
to moving forward to restoring position and thereby allow the sear
and holding projection to move past each other.
2. The toy pistol according to claim 1 in which said holding detent
has a lower cam surface extending rearward and upward to cam said
sear downward incident to passing the same when moving forward with
said trigger to forwardmost starting position.
3. The toy gun according to claim 1 in which said guide means
comprise elongated slots and said pins on said T-shaped member
project from opposite sides thereof and said frame comprises a pair
of complementary molded shells in which said slots for said pins
respectively are formed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For many years, toy pistols have been developed for firing
different types of projectiles and in more recent years, such toy
guns have been developed to fire relatively harmless ping pong
balls, and the present invention pertains to a toy pistol of that
type. Many types of guns for firing different types of projectiles
have been developed heretofore in which the plunger or ram for
firing the projectile is retracted manually and certain guns also
have been developed as toys in which, by operation of a trigger,
the ram is retracted, a projectile falls into position to be
engaged by the ram, and continued retracting movement of the ram
automatically compresses a spring for the ram and, near the end of
the rearward movement of the trigger, a sear is released from the
ram to fire the projectile from the barrel. Typical examples of
this type are illustrated in the following prior U.S. Pat.
Nos.:
No. 71,162--Hall--Nov. 19, 1867
No. 473,808--Arno--Apr. 26, 1892
No. 1,240,987--Lefever--Sept. 25, 1917
In the foregoing patents, when the retracting means for the plunger
is moved rearwardly, the rearward end thereof is cammed downwardly
to release the sear on the retracting member and permits a
compressed spring to drive the plunger forwardly. In the patents to
Hall and Arno, it appears that the trigger must be manually moved
forward to restore it to initial position, but in Lefever, there is
a spring to accomplish this.
Prior art is also present in the form of the following patents
which include means to retain a positioned ball or projectile in
the barrel from falling out of the same until fired. Typical
examples of U.S. Pat. Nos. of this type are:
No. 1,183,133--Sperry
No. 1,206,865--Lefever--Dec. 5, 1916
No. 2,053,152--Kiesel--Sept. 1, 1936
A still further prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,942, to Horowitz
et al, dated Mar. 13, 1956, shows a spring-return means for the
trigger, whereby the toy gun is automatic and a sear on the trigger
automatically releases the plunger near the end of the retraction
of the trigger.
At present, it is very popular to manufacture toy guns, especially
toy pistols from plastic material and in order to adapt certain
basic principles of operation to guns molded from plastic
materials, the present invention has been devised and incident to
perfecting the same, certain novel features have been included
therein which are not disclosed in the prior art, details of which
are described hereinafter and illustrated in the drawings of the
application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a toy
pistol in which, with few exceptions, all parts are manufactured by
molding the same from appropriate plastic materials, including a
pair of complementary shells which comprise a frame that has in the
forward position thereof, a simulated barrel portion terminating
inwardly in a seat to receive a ping pong ball by gravity from an
upwardly and rearwardly extending magazine cavity which is above a
projectile ram mounted in guide means extending longitudinally of
said frame, the ram being projected forwardly by a compression
spring that is compressed incident to a combination T-shaped
trigger and sear mounted with the head thereof below and
substantially parallel to said guide means, the head of the member
having a sear thereon engageable with a holding projection on the
lower portion of the ram and the stem of the T-shaped member is
movable toward and from the open forward edge of a depending hollow
handle member integral with the frame and comprising part of the
shells which form the frame and handle as a unit, the improvement
comprising guide pins on opposite ends of the head of the T-shaped
member which are respectively movable in molded guide slots spaced
longitudinally in the frame, the forward slot being substantially
parallel to the guide means for the ram and the rearward slot
extending rearward and downward, whereby rearward movement by the
trigger moves said head rearwardly and the rear end thereof
projectively is moved downwardly, as well as rearwardly, to finally
cause disengagement of the sear on said head from the holding
projection on the ram, whereby the compression spring fires the ram
forwardly to project a ping pong ball disposed in said seat from
the forward end of the barrel of the frame.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tension spring
respectively connected at the opposite ends thereof to said frame
and head of the T-shaped member for purposes of restoring the same
to its initial starting position automatically when the stem of the
T-shaped member is released to permit such restoration movement, a
further improvement comprising providing the rearward guide slot
with vertical clearance in the forward portion thereof in order
that the pin on the rearward end thereof can move downwardly during
such restoration movement and thereby permit the sear to clear the
holding projection on the ram and move past the same in forward
direction and to insure reengagement of the sear with the holding
projection incident to moving the ram rearwardly, rearward movement
of the depending trigger comprising the stem of the T-shaped member
tending to pivot the head around the axis of the forward pin and
thereby, cause the rearward end of the T-shaped member to move
upwardly and insure engagement between the sear and holding
projection, such movement also being in conjunction with the
tendency of the tension spring to preferably be arranged to slope
rearwardly and downwardly and thus, exert a tilting movement upon
said head of the T-shaped member about the axis of the forward pin
and aid in insuring coengagement between the sear and holding
projection.
Still another object of the invention is to provide restraining
means within the walls of the simulated barrel for purposes of
preventing movement by gravity of a ball disposed in the seat at
the rearward end of the barrel incident to the ram being retracted
and prior to the release of the ram for forward movement to project
the ball from said seat and barrel.
Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as
other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of a toy pistol
embodying the principles of the invention and illustrating, in
phantom, the open position of a cover for the magazine and a ping
pong ball in position to be introduced into the upper rearward end
of the magazine, said figure also showing in phantom certain
details of the invention on the interior of the shell comprising
the frame of the toy pistol.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the toy pistol shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a rearward elevation of the toy pistol shown in FIG.
1.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the pistol shown
in FIG. 1, as seen on the line 2--2 of FIG. 3, FIG. 4 being on a
slightly larger scale than that employed in the preceding
figure.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 4, but on a smaller
scale and showing the sear at the moment of disengagement thereof
with the ram disposed in position to move forwardly.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 5, but showing the
T-shaped combination trigger and sear in the restored forward
position in which the sear has cleared the holding projection on
the ram to enable the rear end of the head of the trigger member to
move upwardly.
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, respectively, are fragmentary vertical sectional
elevations as seen on the lines 7--7, 8--8, and 9--9, in FIG. 4,
and showing details of the co-engageable elements, in particular,
on the T-shaped combination trigger and sear, and also on the ram
and guide means therefor, as well as the holding projection on said
ram.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The pistol 10 is composed of a pair of complementary side shells 12
and 14 which meet along a central plane 16 and, when united,
provide a hollow interior for purposes to be described. The shells
may be united, for example, by conventional interfitting lugs and
recesses or projections having recesses therein to receive the
lugs, exemplary lugs 18 and hollow recesses 20 being shown in
exemplary manner in FIG. 4. Said lugs and recesses are secured
together by appropriate cement in accordance with conventional
practice.
The united shells form a frame 22 for the pistol 10, said frame
extending longitudinally and the same is provided with a downwardly
extending projection 24, which comprises a handle for the pistol,
said handle being hollow and the forward edge 26 thereof having an
elongated opening therein to receive the stem 28 of a T-shaped
member comprising a combination trigger and sear, which is best
shown in FIG. 4, said member having a head 32 which is transverse
to the stem 28 and the stem 28 actually comprises the trigger
member which is movable laterally into and from the hollow interior
of the handle 24. For both strength and comfort in using, the
forward edge of the stem 28 comprising the trigger is provided with
a transversely-extending flange 33, which is perpendicular to the
plane of the main portion of the stem 28.
The forward portion of the pistol 10, which is that shown at the
left-hand end of FIGS. 1 and 4, includes a relatively short
simulated barrel 34, which is circular in end view as shown in FIG.
2, and the outer end thereof may be circumscribed by a band 36,
which also is formed of plastic. As readily seen from FIGS. 2 and
3, the barrel 34 is circular in cross-section and the inner end
thereof terminates in a partially spherical seat 38, which is
complementary to the shape of a ping pong ball 40.
Extending upward and rearward from the seat 38 is an elongated
magazine 42, the upper confines of which are defined by the mating
edge portions of the shells 12 and 14 and the lower portion of the
magazine 42 is defined by co-engaging curved flanges 44, the
magazine actually comprising an elongated cavity capable of holding
a limited number, such as four or five ping pong balls 40, the
rearward upper portion of the magazine 42 comprising a filling
opening which is closed by a hinged cover 46, best shown in FIGS. 1
and 3. The forward end of the elongated cavity comprising the
magazine merges smoothly into the seat 38 so as to offer no
impedance to the movement by gravity of the ping pong balls from
the magazine to the seat 38, as especially can be visualized from
FIG. 1.
The complementary shells 12 and 14 also respectively enclose guide
means comprising opposing channels and ribs 48, best shown in FIG.
8, said ribs extending into channels formed in the opposite sides
of an elongated ram 50, which as also shown in FIG. 8, is
substantially H-shaped when viewed at 90.degree. to the
illustration in FIG. 8. Said ram has a depending holding projection
52, the lower surface of which extends rearwardly and upwardly and
comprises a cam surface 54, as shown in FIGS. 4-6. Within an
appropriate socket 56 formed in the rearward portion of frame 22
and in axial alignment with the ram 50 and engageable with the
rearward end thereof, is a compression spring 58, said spring being
in expanded position in FIGS. 4 and 6, and in compressed position
in FIG. 5.
One of the most important features of the present invention
comprises the details and functions of the head 32 of the T-shaped
member comprising said head and the stem 28 thereof, as well as the
means which support the same. The forward end of the head 32 is
provided with a pair of oppositely extending pins 60, which are
slidable within elongated slots 62 which oppose each other and
actually comprise longitudinal extending recesses parallel to the
guide channels and ribs 48 but disposed below the same, as clearly
shown in FIGS. 4-6, and the disposition of the pins 60 within the
opposed slots 62 is best shown in FIG. 7.
The rearward end of the head 32 terminates in a pair of oppositely
projecting rearward pins 64, best shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, which are
disposed respectively in rearward slots 66, comprising somewhat
elongated, irregularly shaped cavities, also shown in FIGS. 4-6.
The upper surfaces 68 of said slots or cavities extend rearward and
downward in a gradual curve along which the rearward pins 64
slidably move incident to the trigger and sear 30 moving inwardly
toward the right, as viewed in FIGS. 4-6.
The upper edge of the head 32, intermediately of the ends thereof,
is provided with a sear 70 which, as shown in FIG. 8, actually is
substantially wider than the head 32, to insure engagement thereof
with the forward face of the holding projection 52, which
engagement is illustrated in FIG. 4. Extending below the guide
channels and ribs 48 is a tension spring 72, the forward end of
which is connected to an appropriate pin fixed to the frame 22 and
the rearward end thereof extends through a hole 74, see FIG. 4, in
the head 32.
The operation of the pistol is as follows: Said operation is
automatic and occurs by manually engaging the downwardly extending
stem 28 which comprises the combination trigger and sear 30 and
pressing the same into the interior of the hollow handle 24. Since
the sear 70 initially is in engagement with the holding projection
52 on the ram 50, such movement will move the ram 50 rearwardly and
thereby compress the spring 48 and place the spring 72 under
tension. The forward pins 60 slide within the slots 62 along a
straight line parallel to the guide channels and ribs 48, while the
rearward pins 64 gradually move downward due to the downwardly
curved upper surface 68 in the rearward slot 66. At a certain
period in such rearward movement, the forward end of the ram 50
will be retracted substantially entirely from the seat 38 at the
rear end of the simulated barrel 34 and thereby allow the
forwardmost ball 40 in the magazine 42 to drop by gravity into the
seat 38. Continued rearward movement of the trigger and sear 30
will cause the rearward pins 64 to be depressed to such extent by
the time they are disposed in the rearward end of the rearward
slots 66 that the sear 70 will disengage the holding projection 52
and the compressed spring 58 will immediately shoot the ram 50
forwardly to project the ball 40 within the seat 38 forwardly
through the barrel 34. The compressed spring 38 is substantially of
higher strength than the tension spring 72, but the latter is of
such strength that upon release of the trigger and sear 30, the
spring 72 will restore the same to its initial forward position and
in so doing, the sear 70 will engage the cam surface 54 of the
holding projection 52 and be depressed downwardly thereby. This
will cause the rearward pins 64 to move vertically downward and the
forward end of the irregularly-shaped slots 66 permits such
movement due to the clearance arranged at said forward end of the
slots 66. Accordingly, the sear and holding projection will be
restored to the initial position thereof, shown in FIG. 4, and such
clearance between said sear and holding projection is illustrated
in FIG. 6, while in FIG. 5, the illustration shows the relative
position of the sear and holding projection 52 at the instant the
sear has released said projection to permit forward projection of
the ram 50 by the compressed spring 58. Accordingly, it will be
seen that the actual firing of the pistol, as well as restoring the
same to initial position for the next shot, is automatic under all
circumstances and it is only necessary to release the trigger and
sear member 30 to permit the restoration thereof to the initial
starting position.
It also will be observed that in the preferred arrangement of the
interior elements of the pistol, the lowering of the rear portion
of the head 32 causes the spring 72 to be disposed in a somewhat
rearward and downward sloping position which serves to aid in
restoring the sear into its engagement with the forward face of the
holding projection 52 at the completion of the forward movement of
the trigger and sear member 30, and under such circumstances, the
forward pins 60 serve as pivots to control such movement. In the
event, however, that full restoration of the sear 70 into
engagement with the holding projection 52 is not accomplished by
the spring 72, the initial compression movement of the trigger and
sear member 30 by manual engagement also serves to move the head 32
about the pivotal axis of the forward pins 60, and thus, insure
that the sear 70 will be restored to full engagement with the
forward face of the holding projection 52 on the ram 50.
As shown in various figures of the drawings, there is at least one
obstruction 76 projecting into the walls of barrel 34. In FIG. 1,
it will be seen that in the normal forward position of ram 50, the
forward end thereof prevents the forwardmost ball 40 from dropping
into seat 38. When the combination trigger and sear 30 is moved
partially rearward, the forward end thereof will retract from the
seat into the hollow interior of frame 22 and permit the
forwardmost ball to drop into seat 38 from the magazine. To prevent
such positioned ball in seat 38 from falling from the forward end
of barrel 34, the projecting obstructions 76 offer sufficient
restraint on the ball moving outward solely by gravity. However,
the obstructions 76 are short and preferably rounded so that when
the ball in seat 38 is struck sharply by the ram 50, the force is
adequate to cause the ball to overcome the restraint offered by
obstruction 76 and be propelled a substantial distance beyond
barrel 34.
The foregoing description illustrates preferred embodiments of the
invention. However, concepts employed may, based upon such
description, be employed in other embodiments without departing
from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims
are intended to protect the invention broadly, as well as in the
specific forms shown herein.
* * * * *